Kentucky Route Zero is a magical realist adventure game about a secret highway in the caves beneath Kentucky, and the mysterious folks who travel it. Developed by Cardboard Computer (Jake Elliott and Tamas Kemenczy), the game features an original score by Ben Babbitt, along with a suite of old hymns and bluegrass standards recorded by...

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Reviews

"Smart, thoughtful, sweet and incredibly well crafted – it’s the perfect game to play in the small hours of a lonely night. Be warned though; it’ll leave you hungry for unknown roads and longing for an invitation to the blues."
Rock, Paper, Shotgun

"Evokes the feeling of old ghost stories told around a campfire. There's the familiarity of friends and family around a warm, man-made fire, but with it comes the unnerving tale of the strange and unusual. Kentucky Route Zero is beautifully bizarre and perfectly poignant, and most of all, deserves your attention."

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About This Game

Kentucky Route Zero is a magical realist adventure game about a secret highway in the caves beneath Kentucky, and the mysterious folks who travel it.

Developed by Cardboard Computer (Jake Elliott and Tamas Kemenczy), the game features an original score by Ben Babbitt, along with a suite of old hymns and bluegrass standards recorded by The Bedquilt Ramblers.

The game is split into five acts. Acts I, II and III are available now. The remaining two acts will be released as they're completed. Taken as a whole, Kentucky Route Zero is roughly the length of a summer night.

Key Features

A focus on characterization, atmosphere and storytelling rather than clever puzzles or challenges of skill.

A unique art treatment inspired by theatrical set design.

A haunting score accompanies the ambient sounds of the bluegrass state.

There are roads in Kentucky that take you unknown, weird places if you allow yourself to go there. This game is a shortcut to those places wherein you don't need your imagination irl...instead the devs have done all the work for you. Enjoy the surreal, enjoy not having to work for strange magic, enjoy Ky. Rte. 0 ;-)

Btw, if you are ever in the area of Mammoth Cave, do try to visit Pig, Ky - there's an amazing BBQ joint with the most perfect fried catfish and hush puppies...I was literally dragged back to my grandmother's house in a weird space/time continuum...so when I speak of this game, I know whereof I speak ;-p

"When I had journeyed half our life's way,I found myself within a shadowed forest,For I had lost the path that does not stray,Ah, it is hard to speak of what it was,The savage forest, dense and difficult,which even in recall renews my fear:so bitter—death is hardly more severe!But to retell the good discovered there,I'll also tell the other things I saw"

—The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

I was talking with a few of my poet and literary friends and they were urging me to try this new game.Here's how our conversation went.

Virgil: Have you guys heard of the Kentucky Route Zero game, I just tried it and it's great.

Me: But it's $24.99, c'mon really?

Dante: You know the punishment I assigned to the greedy and avaricious.

Me: I know I know... but still I don't want to play a game where I watch pixels move on a screen

Homer: Stop ridiculing this masterpiece. You insult The Muses and mighty Zeus.

Me: Alright Alright... but if there's no action in the first five minutes I'm going back to my multiplayer shoot em' up

Proust: Don't worry, you won't be bored. After finishing it you're definitely going to want to tweet the authors and discuss the work.

Me: Whatever Marcel... why should I want to play a game about rednecks who drink whiskey

Proust: Every gamer, as he games, is actually the gamer of himself. The developer's work is only a kind of optical instrument he provides the gamer so he can discern what he might never have seen in himself without this game. The gamer's recognition in himself of what the game says is the proof of the game's truth.

Review currently in progress, to be updated as more episodes are released.

There's something just slightly off about Kentucky Route Zero.

Not the sort of "off" that turns you away and makes you consider whether it ought to be locked up with its unnerving peers, but the kind that leaves you puzzled and transfixed upon the play of sorts being performed before you. The unusual atmosphere and odd interactions with characters is at once unsettling and hypnotic, its logic clashing with reality yet somehow seeming entirely natural in this bizarre segment of road you've found yourself lost on.

The plot trickles out through nebulous exchanges with persons that may or may not even exist, giving you answers as they simultaneously create an abundance of new questions you haven't time to ask. This ambiguity could very easily be the downfall of the game, but there's a self awareness to the narrative's construction that holds it together as it continues to distort its world into a mysterious cloud of disconnected yet overlapping plot lines.

I'm being intentionally unclear with my descriptions because Kentucky Route Zero relies so heavily upon the player's unknowing of what exactly it is. Were I to have come in already versed on its events, I have little doubt that the magic that kept me engrossed as I tried to fit the misshapen pieces together would have been lost, and what I would have been left with would be an artistically inspired but far less stimulating experience.

After only playing the first act of five, I haven't a great deal more to say about Kentucky Route Zero besides how immensely it made me want to explore more about it and learn its secrets which it has only just touched upon. It's hard for me to pinpoint exactly what makes it so interesting to me, but more than anything it is likely the endless possibility of what could be in store after what was essentially a prologue of sorts.

Perhaps I'll have better answers when I've been through the remaining acts, but regardless of what they contain, Kentucky Route Zero has already established itself as wholly compelling. It feels like the road I'm heading down could take me anywhere, and I want to see everything along it.

Act II Review Update

After completing the second of Kentucky Route Zero's planned five acts, the first is now clear as existing as a sort of necessary introduction to what is to come. It displayed hints of an almost hypnagogic second world hidden beneath our own, setting the story in motion without drifting too far from reality as it slowly allowed its mystery to reveal itself.

Act II is when the Zero is finally allowed to take the spotlight, where former pretenses are rejected as the developers firmly take our hand to guide us through the play being performed in front of us. Kentucky Route Zero's vision of what it is and what it will be is so strong, so confident, that it need not hamper itself with explaining its events as its method of storytelling so entirely encompasses its plot that it would almost be detrimental to the experience should any clear answers be given, or perhaps exist at all.

As its dreamlike world comes more into focus I still have no idea where it plans to take me, and oddly I'm entirely accepting, even excited by that lack of knowledge. Kentucky Route Zero is keeping me in the dark, but its steady reassurance that it knows the way through is enough to keep me moving onward. Wherever this might end up, act II showcased nothing that leads me to believe it has any chance of losing focus, only becoming more captivating as each new piece of its overarching narrative is introduced and I'm taken further inside boundless imagination.

Let me preface this by typing out why I really thought this would be a game that I enjoy and would be able to recommend:

I played and loved pretty much all of the classic point & click adventures in their golden era. From the Sierra adventures to Maniac Mansion, Monkey Island, all the Lucasarts games really, Simon the Sorcerer, Baphomets Curse, you name it.

In more recent times I really enjoyed the Telltale games and also the more philosophical approach of The Stanley Parable for example.

If you are in a similar position and thinking about getting this, it is actually not enough to tell if you will like this game or not. I cannot recommend this to you with a straight face.

First off, the graphical fidelity is really limited, as you might have seen already, but I wouldn't really count that as a negative point. The art style is very distinct and on point, and amplifys the creepy and uneasy mood throughout the whole game. They also manage to get some stunning panoramas and effects out of this minimalistic style, it definitely works for this title.

As for the gameplay, there really is not much to speak of. It mainly consists of walking, driving and dialogue. The conversations aren't voiced so get ready for reading. A lot. Also a lot of really basic small talk that has no connection to any part of the story whatsoever. There are also frequent, short (mostly optional) detours from the main path that happen entirely in text form, no visuals.As far as I've seen there is no form of puzzles or decisions in the game that have any impact on how it unfolds. I disagreed with people that said this is the same in Telltales games. Although the end result is pretty much always the same, there is at least an illusion of choice and advancement, using a thing with another thing to make something happen. Getting the player busy. There is none of that in KRZ, if anything it is very close to a graphic novel where things play out for you, not through you. (This is also evident in the way it is broken up. Acts and Scenes.)It does a few really neat things, like seamlessly switching the character you control without you actually realizing it.

Well then, the story. This is where I seriously got lost. I can't really tell all that much without spoilering anything, but I can tell you that it is basically all over the place. There is a goal or finish that you know about, but it gets replaced with another goal in the first few minutes of the game, and this new one never gets questioned, just accepted as necessary.Come to think of it, everything in this game just gets accepted, nothing is questioned. As a result, nothing gets explained or "solved" either. It's like a very elaborate acid trip. A ride you hop in that trails you along, getting crazier and more confusing by the minute. And you really have no choice but letting it happen and not thinking too much about it, moving on.

You would think that the game would make fun of itself through it ridiculous developments, but it doesn't. Apart from literally one or two very brief instances (one "running gag" and a kid), the tone of this game is dead serious.

The soundtrack is used very sparingly, but to great effect, and it's phenomenal. If anything, I really recommend getting that.

I don't play many point and click games, but I really have to say that this is probably the best I've ever played. While technically barely a "game," its ability to draw emotion and bewilderment in equal amounts consistantly make it a memorable experiance-at least the first three acts have been. The soundtrack is also a must have.

It's tricky to write about Kentucky Route Zero because it's best to know as little as possible about it before playing. The last thing I want is to reveal too much.

That being said, I can tell you that it's not a typical adventure game in many aspects. It's closer to the new Telltale games in the fact that it has no puzzles, no collecting items, nothing to distract from the essence of the game. It's driven by dialogue, observation and exploration, any action scenes are basically non-existent. The most unique thing about it is the narrative mechanic. The player shapes the story, but not in a way that you might expect. Plus the act/scene structure is not something you see in a game every day.

The story is very reflective and melancholic, yet not self-absorbed or pretentious like some sad stories tend to be. It's quite ambiguous and not at all straightforward, exploring multiple themes and leaving a lot of room for interpretation and discovery of its meaning - not a thing for everyone. It might even seem not quite coherent at times, but there's a method in this madness.

Audiovisual design is flawless. Distinctive art style helps create the vagueness and uncanny feeling of the world, perfectly corresponding with the story. There's a lot of atmosphere in almost every scene. Oh, and the scenes. Beautifully crafted, the moments they present can range from calming and touching to rather unsettling ones. And one of them is simply the most perfectly executed musical performance I've ever seen and heard in a game.

In overall it's not a game for everyone. You won't find in it a dramatic and dynamic plot, exciting action or difficult choices. What you'll get instead is a truly unique game full of beautiful, thought-provoking writing and overflowing with atmosphere.

Man, I tell you what. I played through the entirety of all 3 currently-available episodes on a cold, rainy, New Year's Day 2015, and it was the perfect companion to such a day. Each episode gets progressively more serene, surreal, and...satisfying.

It's not a spoiler to say this, but: the dialog choices you make have virtually no impact on the eventual outcome of the story. But that's okay, because the flavor they add is fantastic. They all add to your own personal narrative for the game.

Bonus #1: The music is amazing (especially the songs with vocals). And they're all available for free, right there in the install directory of the game.

Bonus #2: Be sure to check out the 3 interludes that they released between episodes. They're free downloads from the official website, and add even more color and background to an already great experience.

Tl;dr: just buy this, and play it. Don't do the whole 'I'll just wait until all the episodes are out' thing.

Can you imagine a rainbow at night? That's Kentucky Route Zero. Lovely but dark with a great concept, atmospheric places and a fantastic soundtrack. Deep sounds build an important part of the game, impossible without but also impossible with spoken words. And a very interesting gameplay where you switch roles to answer questions. Weird things happen here so choose your answer wisely because some options are unique. Like this game unique and very deep but also dangerous, when you start Kentucky Route Zero you will tunnel through time until you fall into the zero. You cannot stop you want to know where you can go next. A warm journey through cold and endless nights.

I've been putting off playing this game in favor of more action packed, shiny distractions. That was a mistake. The game (story? narrative? memory?) doesn't ask you to suspend your disbelief for its rich, aluring, surreal atmosphere; it doesn't need to. It draws you in, inviting, aluring, mysterious and yet sometimes disturbingly familiar. Simple and satisfying, that is Kentucky Route Zero... but be warned: once you figure out some of what's driving you along this highway, you might just stop looking for an off ramp.

I went out to buy a point and click adventure game, but instead I discovered a long absurdist play cycle living inside my computer.

Does a kind of conservation of energy apply, I wonder? Is there someone out there who walked out one night to see Waiting for Godot and found themself instead holding a lamp in a maze of twisting passages, all alike? Can't we help that poor soul? Ah well, I guess it's just the way things go. Times like these a lot of folks can't even get a lamp. No sense making a fuss.

Kentucky Route Zero takes you on a surreal journey like none that I've experienced in a long time. I especially like how the games shifts which character you control without telling you, but it always makes situational sense. This is truly an interactive story - beautifully woven narrative and some subtle and not-so-subtle imagery sprinkled throughout that makes you wonder what this story is really about. Do yourself a favor and go play it now.

Side Note: Playing this game makes me wish I had better reading comprehension skills. It's something I've struggled with my whole life, but this game in particular makes me wish I could process prose more completely. I'm absolutely certain that there are subtleties in the writing that I'm missing, but that doesn't make the game any less enjoyable.

This is, hands down, THE best narrative experience I've ever encountered in a video game. Its weirdness... The craftsmanship of the characters, sounds, and environments... I've never come across anything like it before. Numerous times I just stopped playing and stared at the monitor, thinking outloud, "Wow" in just sheer wonder and amazement at how creative and compelling the scenes are.

If you're in the mood for something a bit off the beaten path, definitely give this game some of your time. It reminds me of O Brother Where Art Thou and I loved that movie for having many of the same qualities.

Kentucky Route Zero is meticulously constructed. Its writing is sparse but meaningful, its scenes transition with the awareness of a good film, its art and use of lighting is striking, its soundscape is dense, and its choices toy with ideas of player agency without assaulting you with half-baked moral dillemas.

Above all, the story is at times mystery and morbid and heartwarming, and it works.

The game is good, basically. It is a structured, crafted, linear experience, and it's pointless if you don't want to read, but it's stunning at being what it is.

This has honestly been one of the most intrigueing forms of media I have ever experienced. It delievers something that no movie, music, or video game can show on its owm, but instead intwines them all together in a beautifully, haunting new world. For fans of point in click adventures, this is truely unique. For fans of people who view video games as a medium of art, this is made for you.

Besides me living in kentucky.... that already gives me a high grade for this game but then also the original music that sounds almost blue grass-ish and also folk lore added in that my family tells me sometimes and even history behind kentucky (i cannot say much about it with out semi spoiling plot) like the rich rivers and LOADS OF Horses xD i love it all to bits and i hope for the rest to come out.... really good point and click simple not to hard if you really read it and..... yha that just about sums it up

I wasn't immediately impressed when I started this game. I was bugged by this reoccurring thought that, "Oh, this is just another in a recent string of indie games where everything is just... So Weird." The story was a little non linear and slow going, and it had to break through a lot of other minor annoyances in order for me to see the merit. There is a lot of unskippable animation that really grinds (especially when one of the main characters is forced to walk around with a real time limp). It's as though one of the designers put their foot down because they didn't want any of the intricacy of their animations or level design to be missed. And it is a beautiful game. I was gradually won over, which is why I kept playing the game, but act three is where I really became a fan. If you have the patience, stick it out to the end.

Horrible video game analogy: This game is like Grim Fandango if it took place in a folksy acid dream.

The full review is below, but here it is condensed version:Pros- Interesting art style- Great writing- Amazing soundtrackCons- Game isn't too challenging- The songs feel awkward sometimes- The whisperwave hipsters

Until now, I've never been moved so fully by a game so as to write a review. Kentucky Route Zero is one of the best and most intricately orchestrated games I've played in a long time, and,though the game is lurching at first, it's worth the investment.

The game is surreal, poetic, and funny but not to the point of excess in any of these aspects. It's riddled with memory, imagination, the surreal, and how they intersect with reality. And the way these things are portrayed in the game are sometimes quirky, sometimes beautifull, but don't usually seem out of place or forced.

The replayability of it is vast, just as the world the developers created. It's the most complete I've felt a game to be, and, there's so much in it that you will end up missing a lot. By the time you've omitted your first option in the game, you'll want to go back in to see what happens . The writing, as well, is compelling enough to just be a text adventure. But the developers put an original and interesting art style into the game that makes it so much more worth while to sit and watch.

One might think that usually, games like this lack in any substance as far as soundtracks go. But the sounds of this game make such a complete atmosphere to a point where they seem so natural that it's an almost imperceptible addition to the game. The only portion that seemed awkward at first was the music they included in the game, but once you get past the fact that there's lyrical music in a sidescroller, you realize it's actually good.

The way the they develop the game is almost deceptively simple. You walk, inspect, check your notes, and follow simple tasks. The reality, though, is that this game is dense, and there's rarely a dull moment. The dialouge is compelling throughout, just as the art style is, and though the game doesn't challenge you with heavy puzzler aspects one might expect in a sidescroller, it does create a fluid environment and dialouge that lives inside of it.

This game is one of the best out of 2000's releases, and, hopefully, other's will believe it to be as well. I'd definitely say the game was worth the money I put down. Maybe more.

"Ezra: Do you think they'll start it over after the ending?Shannon: Yeah, they do that sometimes.Conway: You want to see the beginning after the ending?Ezra: Maybe it's better that way."